The Fire Within: Rehearsal of Danger
by The Mayor of Ninjago City
Summary: Kai and Samantha's wedding is tomorrow! After the rehearsal of the ceremony at the chapel, Cole and Brooke hail a taxicab to take them to the restaurant where the rehearsal dinner is being held. But what happens when robbers commandeer the cab? This story is a part of the "The Fire Within" series, which was originated by measuremesky. She gave me permission to use her material.
1. Oops

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Howdy! This is The Mayor of Ninjago City with a brand new story called _The Fire Within: Rehearsal of Danger_. This tale features our favorite earth ninja, Cole, and his love interest, a college student named Brooke!**

 **This short story is the latest installment in the "The Fire Within" series, which was originated by the author measuremesky when she began her first Ninjago fanfic _The Fire Within_. That fanfic, along with her follow-up story _A Degree in Danger_ , can be found on this website. Measuremesky is a family member of mine, and she gave me permission to use her material to write my own contributions to the "The Fire Within" series. Check out my profile page for a list of titles.**

 **The story you are about to read below takes place just one month after my recently completed fanfic _The Fire Within: The Independence Day One-Shot_. In this new tale, it is the afternoon before Kai and Samantha's wedding, and the wedding party is rehearsing in the chapel for the next day's ceremony. Cole is a groomsman, and his girlfriend Brooke is a bridesmaid. After the rehearsal, the wedding party and out-of-town guests adjourn to a restaurant for the traditional rehearsal dinner. Cole and Brooke hail a taxicab to take them to their destination, but an unexpected detour occurs…**

 **This story will be fairly short, so I won't have a regular publishing schedule. I'll just post a chapter when it's ready!**

 **References to past events in the "The Fire Within" series:**

 ** _Trouble in Paradise_ \- Chapter 9 narrates the night that Cole realized he loved Brooke, and Chapter 10 mentions the Joel Taylor concert.**

 ** _The Valentine Incident_ \- Chapter 15 contains the original account of Kai and Sam's engagement.**

 ** _The Fire Witch Incident_ \- Chapters 14 and 15 include details on the fire witch's evil doings.**

 **Hope you enjoy this first chapter of _Rehearsal of Danger_!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - Oops**

As the Ninjago University chapel organist played the recessional music on this August afternoon in Ninjago City, Cole Hence happily escorted Brooke Dawson back up the center aisle.

If truth be told, the earth ninja wouldn't have minded if he and the willowy brunette had just left the altar after exchanging wedding vows with each other. Though he hadn't yet told her he loved her, he had realized his feelings for her back in March as they walked along the sands of romantic Paradise Beach.

But today they were rehearsing their roles as a groomsman and a bridesmaid in the wedding of Kai Smith, the fire ninja, and his bride, Samantha Miller. Tomorrow was the big day for the betrothed couple.

Six months had quickly passed since the evening of Valentine's Day, when Kai had proposed to the blonde college student, and since then they had diligently worked on planning for the ceremony and for their married life afterward.

About five weeks ago, however, it appeared that their wedding - and Sam's life - was in jeopardy when she and the ninja brothers were taken captive by an evil fire witch who planned to take over Ninjago. Fortunately Kai vanquished Fiora, the villainess, but several weeks were needed to heal the bruises on Sam's neck, which were put there by Kai while he was under Fiora's spell. The bruises were now gone, and Sam's voice was back to normal, and Kai was glad that the physical reminders of that awful day had finally disappeared.

"I'm ready for this rehearsal to be over. I'm hungry," Cole quietly complained. He kept his eyes looking forward as he slowly walked so as not to incur the wrath of the wedding coordinator. The middle aged woman, a former ballet instructor with pale skin, bright red lipstick, and black hair pulled in a tight bun, was making sure that the bridal party practiced exhibiting the proper decorum for tomorrow's event. The wedding was going to be nationally televised, since the groom was an official Protector of Ninjago, and the woman was determined to make sure that everything looked fabulous.

"Groomsman with the black hair! You're walking too fast. Slow down!" the former ballet instructor - or was she a former drill sergeant? - commanded. Cole reluctantly slowed his pace, muttering under his breath.

Brooke giggled. "I'm hungry, too," she agreed, also keeping her eyes looking forward as she clutched the arm of her boyfriend and bridal party escort. "Have you ever been to Serenity Gardens Restaurant? I've never been there, but Sammie said it was one of Sensei Wu's favorites and that's why he chose it as the place for the rehearsal dinner."

Cole started nodding his head in the affirmative but caught himself and kept his head still. "Yeah," he answered. "It's been a long time, but I remember that behind the place, they had ponds with the little bridges over them and bunches of flowers everywhere. And at night they have patio string lights hung everywhere, so you can still see to walk around and enjoy everything."

"I'll take a wild guess and bet that the nice area behind the restaurant is called Serenity Gardens," Brooke chuckled. "But, seriously, it does sound nice."

At this point in their procession up the aisle, they reached the chapel pew where Brooke's mother and father were sitting and observing the rehearsal. Her parents would be joining the bridal party for the traditional dinner at the completion of the rehearsal. Brooke and Cole smiled at Mr. and Mrs. Dawson as they walked past. For some reason, Brooke's dad made Cole feel a little uneasy, but Cole reasoned that no matter what guy was dating Brooke, even if he was one of the Protectors of Ninjago, Mr. Dawson would be watching him with wary eyes, especially since Brooke was an only child.

Once Cole surmised they were out of earshot of the elder Dawsons, he spoke quietly. "So do you suppose that, after dinner, I could take you for a walk through the gardens? Maybe we could find a spot where the lights aren't working," he smirked.

His comment was greeted with a good-natured _thwap!_ on his chest by the paper rehearsal bouquet Brooke held in her other hand.

"Ow!" he said loudly, pretending to be in pain.

They immediately heard some claps of annoyance from the wedding coordinator. "Groomsman with the black hair! Bridesmaid with the brown hair! This is a wedding rehearsal, not a boxing match!" she called out.

"Sorry," they mumbled as they continued their journey to the back of the church, eyes looking forward once again.

"I am so going to get you back for getting us in trouble," Brooke whisper-yelled.

Cole smirked again. "I'd like to see you try!"

* * *

"I'm ready to go!" Brooke announced cheerily as she returned to the narthex after having used the ladies' restroom after the rehearsal. She adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder.

Cole was the only one waiting around for her.

Looking around at the quiet space, she commented, "Boy, everyone must have been hungry and left for the restaurant in a hurry. I can't believe I was in the restroom that long!"

"Felt like forever, though," Cole teased, standing up from the chair he was waiting in. "Your mom and dad said they'd share a cab ride with Misako." The earth ninja slid his muscular arms around his girlfriend's waist. "I think your mom wanted to give us some private time. She seemed to approve of me once she found out I've got Italian blood, just like she and you do," he murmured, seeking her lips.

Cole had missed his girlfriend in the two months which had elapsed since he had last seen her. Before Brooke and her parents had arrived in Ninjago City yesterday, the last time he and the brunette college student had spent time together was at the Joel Taylor concert in June, just after her final semester exams and before she left the Ninjago U campus to go back to her home village for the summer.

"And how about my dad?" Brooke asked, mumbling against her boyfriend's lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"He looked like he wanted to shoot daggers at me," Cole mumbled back before pulling away. "We probably should go hail a cab now. If I don't get you to Serenity Gardens within a minute after he gets there, I might be a dead man," he joked.

Brooke giggled as she let go of his neck and placed her hand in his. Together they walked out the main entrance of the chapel and onto the sidewalk. Some police cars were parked in front; the officers were preparing to implement security procedures for tomorrow.

But after five minutes of waiting, not one cab had driven by.

"That's weird. There were a whole bunch of them a little while ago," Cole mused. "Let's walk over one block down and one block over and wait for one. We probably should move along before the media trucks get here to set up their stuff, anyway."

"You just want to stop at Kiedun Donuts, don't you?" Brooke smirked.

"Donuts aren't cake, but they'll do," Cole replied, squeezing her hand. "A donut is easier to eat in a cab, anyway."

Hand in hand they strolled down the few blocks to the donut shop. When they were almost there, they spotted a cab driving toward them from the opposite side of the street. Its roof light was on, indicating it was available for hire.

Cole hated to bypass the donut shop, but he and Brooke needed to get to the restaurant. "Let's grab that one!" he exclaimed, pointing it out to her.

Glancing in both directions of the street to ensure their path was clear, Cole guided Brooke across the roadway, holding on to her with one hand while wildly waving his other arm. The driver saw him and steered his vehicle to the curb to wait for the soon-to-be passengers.

They reached the vehicle. "Serenity Gardens Restaurant, please," Cole said to the driver through the open driver-side window.

"Sure," the driver, an older man of about 65, responded as he motioned for them to proceed into the vehicle.

Cole and Brooke walked around to the curb side of the car. Cole opened the rear passenger door and Brooke got in and slid across the vinyl bench seat to make room for her boyfriend. Then Cole got in and closed the door.

The driver spoke. "There's a train blocking traffic farther down on Lotus Street. Is it OK if I take Cherry Blossom Avenue? That route is actually a longer distance, but you'll get there quicker."

"That's fine with me!" Cole agreed. He knew Brooke's dad wouldn't really shoot daggers at him if they were a bit late, but he didn't want unfriendly looks shot at him, either.

Brooke turned toward the earth ninja to say something, but she never got the chance to speak, for just then they heard lots of shouting outside the cab.

The next thing they knew, both driver side doors had been yanked open by two men in ski masks wielding guns and carrying sacks. One yelled "Out of the cab, old man!" while grabbing the shocked driver's arm, pulling him out of - and away from - the vehicle, and seating himself behind the steering wheel.

The second man shoved himself in the space next to Brooke and slammed the door shut. "Don't move!" he ordered, pointing the gun in the girl's face.

A third masked man opened the front passenger door and climbed in, positioning himself in such as way as to face the people in the back seat. He pointed his gun at Cole.

"Hit it, Dill!" the third man said to his counterpart behind the wheel. And, with tires squealing, the cab sped away from the curb, carrying its two shocked passengers.

Many crazy thoughts ran through Cole's mind as he processed what had just happened. One thought was…

 _Brooke's dad is really gonna be mad at me now!_


	2. Identities Revealed

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Who is watching the new season of Ninjago on the Cartoon Network in the USA this week? I AM! I think I might be the last person on Earth who hasn't seen Episodes 60-64 yet, so I am excited!**

 **And I am excited about the positive response to my current tale! I wish to give a big shoutout to StoryMaker7, AveXCninja11, lovesgod12, MasterofCupcakes, Titanium Jay and Electro Zane, and WalrusWins257 for posting great comments! *does happy dance!***

 **I also wish to acknowledge Goldmedalninja for adding me to their list of favorite authors. Thank you so much!**

 **In the chapter below, the original dream which Cole remembers having last Christmas is recounted in my fanfic** _ **All I Want for Christmas: Cole's Dream.**_ **The reference to Victor and his gang will be narrated in a future chapter of measuremesky's fanfic** _ **A Degree in Danger**_ **.**

 **Read on as the getaway cab speeds down the road...**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Identities Revealed**

In the close quarters of the taxicab's back seat, Brooke pressed herself as close as she could to Cole, who sat to her right, in order to maximize the distance between her and the gunman who sat to her left. The long-haired brunette looked at her boyfriend with fear in her eyes.

Cole squeezed her hand, which he had grasped instinctively when the cab doors were first yanked open. "Don't worry," he mouthed to her.

Inwardly, Cole was a bit worried himself about the options for neutralizing this situation. The earth ninja pressed his lips together in thought. If he were by himself, he would have a better chance of taking down these bad guys, or at least escaping them. Brooke's presence made things a bit more complicated, for he had to consider her safety as well.

Cole was reminded of a dream he had last Christmas, in which he and Brooke were at the mercy of a gunman at Hayward's Department Store. He never told Brooke about it. The dream ended well enough, except for the minor detail of Cole getting shot in the leg at the end. In his dream, however, there was only one gunman, and Kai was available to help defeat the jerk.

"I'm gonna kill that Clyde if I ever see him again," the masked man in the front passenger seat declared. "That coward jeopardized our bank heist by panicking and taking off in the getaway car and leaving us stranded."

"You said it, Jess," the man next to Brooke affirmed. "But at least I get to sit nice and close to a lovely young lady!"

Though the ski mask covered most of the man's face, Cole could see crinkles form in the corners of the robber's eyes, indicating that he was smiling at the girl and no doubt thinking dishonorable thoughts. Cole glared at him.

The men in the front seat chuckled. "Oh, Cap, you're hopeless. We just robbed a branch of the Ninjago City Community Bank and you still can't get the ladies off your mind," Jess smirked as he repositioned the gun more comfortably in his hand while keeping it pointed at Cole. Jess seemed to be the leader of the group.

"At least we know Clyde didn't take off with our next getaway car. I have the keys!" Dill spoke up, just before he suddenly maneuvered the cab into an adjacent lane, jostling the occupants.

Cole looked at Brooke. Her head was lowered and her face was scrunched up, having anticipated that a collision would follow Dill's sudden lane change.

Cap looked at her, too. With the hand that wasn't holding his gun, he rubbed her bare knee, which was exposed beyond the hem of her striped yellow sundress. Her head bobbed up at the unexpected contact.

"Don't worry, honey, Dill's a great driver," the robber chuckled.

Cole glared at him, speaking up for the first time. "Don't touch her!" he hissed.

"Oooh, jealous, aren't we?" Cap growled back. "Makes me want to find out a little more about this pretty lady!" He let go of Brooke's knee and snatched her purse off her lap.

"Give that back!" the brunette commanded. No one messed with her purse.

"In a minute, honey." Cap placed the purse on his own lap and fumbled with the clasp with his free hand. When he opened it, he dumped the purse's contents on her lap. The object he was seeking - her wallet - landed there, along with most of the other items. The remainder landed on the cab's floor around Cole's feet.

"Hey!" Brooke exclaimed, protesting the scattering of her possessions.

"Cap, quit making a mess!" Jess yelled.

Cole bent down. "I'll get the stuff on the floor."

"No funny business, dude, or the girl gets it!" Jess warned.

The earth ninja picked up a pack of gum, her hotel room access card, and an emery board and placed them on her lap. "Hang on. There's some more stuff down here, too," he said as he bent down again. He grabbed the comb and the ball point pen he had spotted, but before he straightened up again, he spied another object as well: the thin, purple canister of pepper spray he had given to Brooke last fall, after Sam had been kidnapped by Victor and his vicious gang.

Cole - who was pleased that Brooke continued to tote around the defensive weapon, for it meant she took his safety advice seriously - quickly tucked the canister into his sock, where it would be hidden under the cuff of his dress pants. It could be useful at the right moment.

Cole sat up again and put the comb and pen in Brooke's lap, slightly worried that his action of hiding the pepper spray had been noticed by Cap. The gunman, however, was busy looking in Brooke's wallet.

"So, honey, I see your name is Brooke Dawson and you're a student at Ninjago University. You're pretty AND smart!" Cap commented as he came across the first item in her wallet, her university ID card.

Brooke swallowed nervously. This creep was looking through all her personal information and would soon know her birthdate, her address in her home village, what stores she had credit cards at, who her doctor and dentist was, and other identifying information. Who knew what he would do with that knowledge?

But the robber became distracted from further perusal of her information by a photo in her wallet. It was a picture of Cole, resplendent in his black ninja uniform, except for his hood.

 _Oh, no,_ Cole thought to himself.

"Wait a minute…" Cap recognized the young man in the photo as the same young man seated on the other side of Brooke. He took the photo out of its plastic sleeve in the wallet and turned it over. Written on the back was "To Brooke, who rocks my world! Your favorite earth ninja, Cole."

If Cap had not been wearing his ski mask, they would have seen his face turned pale.

"What's up?" Jess wanted to know.

"Hey Jess, ya know that picture we saw of those ninja guys on the TV news last night, when they were doing the story on the one ninja guy who's getting married tomorrow?"

"Yeah. So?"

"This guy here is the ninja who wears the color black."

Cole silently exhaled in frustration. He had been hoping to keep his ninja identity a secret so that he could use his abilities in a surprise take-down of these robbers. Now that they knew, overpowering them would be trickier, for they would now be expecting extraordinary maneuvers from him.

"Is that true?" Jess' eyes were laser-focused on Cole.

The earth ninja swallowed but answered succinctly. "Yes."

Cole observed smile creases forming in the corners of Jess' eyes. "Well, I wouldn't worry too much, Cap," the gunman admonished his comrade, "because it just means the girl is now a whole lot more valuable to us!"


	3. Identities Revealed to More People

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Yay! I finally watched all of the Skybound season when the last few episodes were aired by the Cartoon Network in the USA last week! It certainly was packed with action, just like the other seasons!**

 **I wish to high-five all my readers and the following fanfictioners for their wonderful comments on the previous chapter of this tale:** **MasterofCupcakes, StoryMaker7, lovesgod12, FirstFandomFangirl, Titanium Jay and Electro Zane (who also faved), and AveXCninja11 (who also faved)!**

 **Thanks also to Taiski who faved this story and several of my other stories as well!**

 **I also wish to give a big shoutout to LegoTerraWarrior, who is currently writing the story "Song of a Calling Heart." In Chapter 6 of her tale, she narrated a meeting between Wu, Misako, and yours truly, The Mayor of Ninjago City! XD Somehow she correctly guessed my hair and eye color, and I'm tickled that she described me as having nicely manicured nails! Please check out her story!**

 **See you next week, everyone!**

 **In the chapter below, the identities of the carjacking victims are discovered by the authorities. (And can anyone guess where I came up with the names of the police officers?...)**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - Identities Revealed to More People**

Over the Ninjago City Police Department radio airwaves, the message rang out through squad car 52's open windows: "Calling all unassigned units in the vicinity of Cherry Blossom Avenue and 26th Street. Robbery reported at the northeast side branch of the Ninjago Community Bank. Three suspects involved. They are armed and believed to have fled northbound on 26th, on foot."

Jamie Ganray and Edi Kojan, the police officers who were manning squad 52 and who were assigned to the security detail at the Ninjago University Chapel, looked at each other as they stood outside the vehicle, which was parked in front of the chapel along Lotus Street, near 28th Street.

"Hmm! Sounds like they're not terribly far from us," Ganray commented. He patted his weapon in its holster at his side, mentally preparing to use it just in case the bad guys showed up. His eyes scanned Lotus Street in the direction of 26th, looking for suspicious activity. His partner Kojan did the same.

Just then, their two fellow officers who were also on chapel guard duty exited the building and headed toward them.

"Reed! Malloy!" Kojan called out. "A bank robbery occurred at 26th and Cherry Blossom. The perps were on foot, heading north on 26th. It just came over the box."

"Roger that," Malloy replied, acknowledging the warning as he and his younger partner reached their comrades. Malloy took a deep breath. "So far all's quiet inside the chapel. Why don't you two go grab some dinner now while Reed and I keep watch out here. Then you can take your turn doing indoor surveillance after we get back from our dinner."

Ganray and Kojan nodded in agreement. "Sounds good. See you in a few," Ganray said as he and his partner got in their squad car and headed west on Lotus.

"So what do you feel like eating?" Ganray inquired as he turned the car left onto 26th. "Pizza? Burgers? I got a coupon for -"

"Jamie! Isn't that Pastor Neuman?" Kojan interrupted her partner. The officers spotted a man walking along the curb of the street, waving one arm to get their attention while his other arm supported another man who looked older and was hobbling.

"Yeah," Ganray concurred. The officers had met the pastor earlier in the day as part of their task of setting up security in the chapel. "Let's see what the problem is," he said as he quickly activated the lights and pulled the squad car close to the pedestrians.

"Officers! I'm glad to see you again!" the pastor exclaimed upon recognizing them. "I was heading down to a sandwich shop for a quick bite to eat. I came across this man on his hands and knees, crawling toward the curb. He told me he's a taxi driver whose cab was carjacked by three masked guys with guns!"

Ganray and Kojan looked at each other with wide eyes, thinking the same thing - this man was a victim of the bank robbers. "I'll call it in," Ganray stated. He turned away to use his shoulder radio to report the carjacking and to request an ambulance.

"And I'll take care of the driver," Kojan affirmed. She and Pastor Neuman gently sat the older man on the curb to make him more comfortable and to check for wounds. After ascertaining that his hobbling had been caused by a twisted ankle and not by a weapon, she asked him what happened.

The cab driver relayed how he had stopped to pick up two passengers, and just before he had put the vehicle's transmission back in drive, his door was suddenly yanked open by a masked man in black who wielded a gun and a bag. The gunman grabbed the driver's arm and threw him onto the pavement, and the action injured his leg. A second gunman entered the cab from the passenger side, and another one climbed into the back seat with the two passengers.

The driver told the officers that he remembered hearing, "Hit it, Dill!" as the car sped away.

"A hostage situation!" the seated Kojan exclaimed as she looked up at Ganray, who had rejoined the group during the older man's recounting of the criminal action.

Ganray knelt down to talk to the cab driver. "Can you describe the passengers, sir?" he asked.

"They were a young man and a young woman who must have been a couple, 'cause they were holding hands when they came up to me. The young man had black hair. He was tall and looked like a football player. He had on a gray suit and a tie. The girl was a few inches shorter. She had long brown hair, and she wore a yellow dress with stripes and yellow shoes."

Sirens could now be heard in the background. An ambulance and backup police units were on their way.

Ganray turned to his partner. "Edi, that sounds like the couple that left the chapel just a little while ago! Remember they were standing in front for a few minutes, and then they left?"

"Oh, my. Brooke Dawson was wearing a yellow and white striped dress at the rehearsal, and she had on yellow shoes." Pastor Neuman spoke through his hand that was now covering his mouth in shock. Though the pastor was not the official chaplain of Ninjago University, he often substituted as the worship leader of services, and he also participated in campus ministry activities, so he knew Brooke. "She's a bridesmaid, and she's dating one of the ninja - the one with black hair! He's a groomsman, and he was wearing a gray suit today!"

Kojan turned to cab driver again. "Sir, where did the passengers say they wanted to go?"

"Serenity Gardens Restaurant."

"Oh, my," the pastor gasped. "That's where the rehearsal dinner is being held. I know because I was invited, though I normally don't attend such events when I'm invited, due to having to take care of things before the ceremony."

Kojan nodded. "Some of our friends who are fellow officers are assigned to security detail at the restaurant, so Officer Ganray and I are also aware of the location of the rehearsal dinner." Now they also knew that two members of the wedding party had been kidnapped.

"OK, I'm going to radio in the descriptions of the hostages," Officer Ganray announced. "The security detail can keep a closer eye on things at the restaurant, in case the perps are planning to do some mischief!"


	4. News Reaches the Restaurant

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Howdy, readers! I'm back from my vacation in Phoenix, Arizona. The temperature was hot but I enjoyed my visit.**

 **Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this tale! I wish to send a special shoutout to the wonderful commenters on the previous chapter: FirstFandomFangirl, StoryMaker7, MasterofCupcakes, lovesgod12, LegoTerraWarrior (you're welcome, LTW!), AveXCninja11, and WalrusWins257!**

 **Here is the origin of the police officers' names from the previous chapter:  
** **1\. The name of Jamie Ganray comes from Jamie Reagan, a character on the current American TV police drama** _ **Blue Bloods**_ **.  
** **2\. The name of Edi Kojan comes from Edit Janko, the character who is Reagan's partner on** _ **Blue Bloods**_ **.  
** **3\. The names of Reed and Malloy come from the main characters in the 1970s American TV police drama** _ **Adam-12**_ **.**

 **BTW, I haven't read any stories since Friday, but I plan to catch up with my reading, now that I'm posting this chapter!**

 **Thanks to measuremesky for being my beta reader for the chapter you are about to read!**

 **In the chapter below, news of the carjacking reaches the Serenity Gardens Restaurant...**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - News Reaches the Restaurant**

Sensei Wu and Lloyd re-entered the private dining room of the Serenity Gardens Restaurant with grave concern on their faces, in stark contrast to the festive countenances of the other rehearsal dinner attendees who had gathered for the happy pre-wedding event. Guests were milling about, mingling with other invitees while enjoying pre-dinner appetizers and beverages. They were waiting for the signal to begin seating themselves at the artfully decorated tables in anticipation of being served dinner.

Only seconds after the green ninja and his uncle had returned to the room, they were met by Jill Morrow, the aunt of the bride, who had become good friends with the wise teacher ever since they had met five months ago on the Bounty at the first-ever social gathering of Kai's and Sam's loved ones.

Minutes ago from across the room, she had seen Wu, as the official host of the gathering, summoned to the doorway by the restaurant's proprietor, who then introduced him to a uniformed police officer he had brought along. She then witnessed Lloyd join the group of men - she guessed that the green ninja was concerned about the serious demeanor of the law enforcer. Then she had watched them all temporarily withdraw out of sight, likely to the lobby. Something about their actions made her uneasy, so she had kept an eye on the room's entrance until the sensei and his nephew reappeared just now.

Upon approaching the men, Jill immediately noticed their somber expressions. "Is everything all right, Wu?" she asked.

"I wish I could say yes, Jill, but unfortunately I cannot. By any chance would you know where Mr. Hence and Mr. and Mrs. Dawson are at the moment?"

Jill turned away from the men to face the room of guests and pointed out Cole's father. "Lou is standing by the bar talking with the lady who used to babysit Sam and Todd - Mrs. Jones." She then motioned in the direction of a painting on the wall which featured a lily pond. "Roger and Maria are in that group standing near the Claude Monet artwork," she answered, identifying the location of Brooke's parents.

She turned back to the two men. Noting the weary look in the teacher's eyes, she asked, "Would you like me to get them for you?"

"Yes, please," Sensei Wu nodded in reply. "A police officer in the lobby wishes to speak to them."

Jill's eyes widened in alarm as all the possible reasons for a visit by a police officer raced through her mind, especially after realizing that Cole and Brooke had not yet arrived at the restaurant. Glancing at Lloyd, she noted he wore the same serious expression as his uncle. Swallowing her nervousness, she quickly said, "I'll go retrieve them," and left.

Lloyd was about to offer to procure a glass of water for his uncle when Zane approached them. "Forgive me if I am being too intrusive, Sensei, but I am sensing that you are troubled, and I wish to offer whatever assistance I can."

Before Sensei could reply, Jay showed up, carrying a plate of food. "These appetizers with the little sausages in them are really good. Cole's missing out. Has anyone seen him or Brooke yet? Or did they make a detour?" He jokingly wiggled his eyebrows, implying that his teammate had taken the willowy brunette to a secluded place to make out with her.

"In a way, I wish that was indeed the case, Jay," Sensei spoke up, surprising his students with his apparent condonation of amorous activity on the part of the earth ninja. "Sadly, I have just learned from the police officers out in front of the restaurant that Cole and Brooke were kidnapped in a carjacking. The taxicab which they hailed in order to get here was seized by three suspects in a bank robbery."

Jay and Zane gasped.

Sensei continued. "Jill is seeking out their parents right now so that the police officers can notify them as well. I am not sure, however, about whether to tell Kai and Sam just yet. This is a happy occasion for them and I am reluctant to introduce worrisome news to them."

Just then, Kai walked over to the group with a beverage in his hand. He was miffed.

"Do you know why Cole and Brooke haven't shown up yet? They're 40 minutes late already and it's almost time to sit down for dinner! Are they pranking us or something? If so, I'm not laughing," the red ninja grumbled. He gestured to his bride-to-be across the room talking to some guests. "Sam is really stressed out about being on national TV tomorrow, so she doesn't need extra stuff to worry about!"

"Cool it, Kai," Lloyd admonished him. "Uncle, I'd say you should tell Kai now."

"Tell me what?"

Sensei placed his hand on his grumpy student's shoulder. "Kai, the reason -"

The teacher removed his hand from Kai's shoulder upon being interrupted by the approach of Roger and Maria Dawson.

"Sensei Wu, I hear you want to speak to us," Brooke's father said. He was not smiling. "I hope it's in regard to the whereabouts of our daughter. We've been waiting for over half an hour for her to show up with your student. I thought a ninja was supposed to be responsible!"

The others were taken aback by Mr. Dawson's harsh words, including his wife. "Be nice, _mio marito_!" Mrs. Dawson scolded him.

"Mr. Dawson, Cole is not to blame for Brooke's absence," Sensei patiently explained. "As soon as Ms. Morrow sends Mr. Hence here to join us, I will escort you all to the restaurant lobby where a police officer is waiting to speak to you."

" _Caro Dio!_ " Mrs. Dawson exclaimed, clutching her husband's arm in fear as she imagined the worst case scenario.

"I'm sorry for thinking they were pranking us," Kai said with dismay in his voice. He also imagined the worst.

"A police officer?! What happened to my daughter?" Mr. Dawson demanded to know.

The group of seven people grew to nine as Jill returned to the room's entrance with Cole's father.

"What's going on?" Mr. Hence asked. "Ms. Morrow informed me that you wished to have a word with me, Sensei Wu. I see a lot of unhappy faces right now, considering that we're at a wedding rehearsal dinner."

"Indeed, you are observant," Sensei commented. "If you would, Mr. Hence and Mr. and Mrs. Dawson, please come with me to the lobby. Ninja, please accompany us as well. You too, Jill."

As they left the private dining area, Kai walked alongside Jay. "I hope Sam didn't see us leave the room," the fire ninja murmured to the lightning ninja as they made their way to the lobby. "I don't know exactly what the police officer is going to say, but I don't think she'd be happy if she were to find out what it is!"


	5. Two Robbers Learn Crime Doesn't Pay

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **In my part of the USA, the new school year begins next week. Summer, where did you go? XD**

 **Howdy to AveXCninja11, WalrusWins257, MasterofCupcakes, lovesgod12, and FirstFandomFangirl! Thanks so much for your comments on Chapter 4! I love 'em!**

 **The names of the bad guys in this story are based on real-life American bad guys. Dill comes from John Dillinger, Jess comes from Jesse James, and Cap comes from Al Capone.**

 **The chapter below makes slight references to happenings in two of my previous stories:** _ **The Fire Within: Trouble in Paradise**_ **and** _ **The Fire Within: The Valentine Incident**_ **.**

 **Hey FFF, you'll be especially happy about the chapter below. It focuses on Cole and Brooke!...**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Two Robbers Learn Crime Doesn't Pay**

"Now that you guys found out stuff about my girlfriend and me, give US a turn at finding out stuff," Cole tersely demanded of the three carjackers who had commandeered the taxicab he and Brooke had hailed. "Like where's the next getaway car? Dill said he had the keys to it."

"Oh, but it's fun to have the upper hand over a NINJA," Jess chuckled. Since he was already facing the back seat, his eyes scanned the scenery out the back window as well as the sides. He smiled, satisfied that no police cars were chasing them. "We might as well tell you, though, since we're gonna be there in two or three minutes anyway. We're heading to the train station."

Dill spoke up from the driver seat. "What do you think we should do with these two once we get there, Jess? We didn't plan on having hostages."

The leader of the bank robbers pursed his lips together in thought. "Hmm. I've haven't totally made up my mind." He alternated his glance between Cole and Brooke, but he did not say anything more.

Alarmed at the criminal's lack of assurance about their safety, Brooke squeezed Cole's hand. The earth ninja squeezed back, wordlessly trying to communicate comfort to his girlfriend. He planned to make his move against the criminals once they all got out of the cab.

The carjacked vehicle slowed down as it reached the train station and made the turn to enter the parking lot. The majority of the parking spaces were filled, but some empty slots existed.

"Let's see...Row H. Here we are," Dill announced as he turned the vehicle into the row he was seeking. "And there's our car," he exclaimed, pointing out a gray hatchback passenger vehicle as they drove past it.

 _That's a small car,_ Cole thought to himself. _How do they expect us all to fit in that?_ Then a stark realization came to him: _Jess might not be intending that we ALL fit in it..._

The driver found an empty parking space about a dozen slots away from the hatchback. He maneuvered the taxicab between the yellow lines and turned off the ignition.

At that point, the three gunmen removed their masks, and Brooke and Cole got their first good look at their captors.

Dill fished a key on a key ring out of his pocket. "Are we still going one at a time so we don't attract attention? Who's going first?" he asked.

"Cap, you go first and unlock the car," Jess ordered, taking the key ring from Dill and handing it to his comrade in the back seat. "We'll take your loot bag. You take the girl with you."

Brooke gasped.

Cap grinned, transferring the key ring to a shirt pocket and then tossing his loot bag into the front seat. "I'll be happy to escort the lovely lady. Come on, honey," he urged Brooke. Grabbing her wrist, the robber opened the rear driver-side door and got out of the car.

"Cole!" the brunette cried out when Cap began to yank her out of the vehicle.

"It'll be OK, Brooke!" the earth ninja responded as he reluctantly let go of her hand. With his other hand, he surreptitiously reached into his sock for a certain thin purple canister, figuring that his action would not be noticed in the current commotion. He hadn't planned to remove it from its hiding place just yet, but something told him to reach for it now and hold it behind his knee.

"Hey, sweetie, remember we still got your ninja boyfriend, so don't give Cap any trouble!" Jess hollered to Brooke just before Cap shut the door on the three remaining occupants of the car.

For a few seconds, Cole watched through the cab's side and back windows as his girlfriend, dangling her yellow purse behind her, was dragged away by her abductor. Then the earth ninja turned back to the two criminals in the front seat. "Where are we going in the getaway car?" he demanded to know.

Jess smirked, refocusing his gun on the black-haired young man. With a tilt of his head and movement of his eyes, he indicated that Dill should do the same. "One of us is not going in the getaway car. You've reached the end of the road, my ninja friend. We can't take a chance that you'll use your ninja powers to stop us from getting away with the loot! I had considered letting you kiss your girl one last time, but then I thought 'Nah, not a good idea,' because then she'd find out we were about to kill you, and she'd get hysterical and, well, you know...things would just get too messy."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I think she and I are gonna be doing a LOT more kissing once I get through stopping you!" Cole declared. And with that, he whipped out the pepper spray from behind his knee and shot the aerosol into the eyes of the two gunman.

Dill and Jess clutched their faces and writhed and moaned in agony.

As they did so, Cole quickly escaped out the rear passenger-side door and slammed it shut. Crouching down, he made his way around the car until he reached the rear bumper. Hoping he could replicate the precision skills he practiced last spring while he and Lloyd worked at Paradise Quarry, the earth ninja sighed deeply, closed his eyes, focused, and slammed the ground with his fists.

The black-haired warrior was soon rewarded with the results he hoped to achieve. Within seconds, a fifteen-feet-deep sinkhole opened up underneath the cab, and the vehicle neatly dropped down into it. The length and width of the sinkhole perfectly matched the length and width of the cab, leaving the cars parked on either side of it unscathed. Cole was pleased about that last part, for he didn't know if any collateral damage caused by his action was covered by any insurance policy. Last winter, he had thought Kai was pretty lucky that the Ninjago City Park District's insurance policy paid for the rebuilding of Lake Ninjago's concession stand, which the fire ninja had burned down in order to defeat the evil sorcerer Sebastian.

Because the space between the sides of the sinkhole and sides of the car was so narrow, the robbers would not be able to open the car doors wide enough, or even shimmy themselves through the windows, in order to exit the vehicle. The only way the gunmen would be able to get out of the car was to smash either the front or the back windshields and climb out. But Cole figured that even if they successfully managed to do that, they would still have to climb up the steep walls of the sinkhole, which would be impossible for most people to do without wall climbing equipment.

 _Two down, one to go,_ Cole thought. _Hope the noise wasn't too loud to put Cap on alert._

Still crouching down, he quickly made his way down the aisle of parked cars, toward the gray hatchback. To his advantage, the sun had just set, providing him with a slight cover of darkness.

As he approached the getaway car, his extra sensitive hearing - honed by his years of ninja training - picked up sounds of a female in distress.

 _Brooke!_

As he got closer, his apprehension increased when he could actually hear what she was saying: "Stop! Please!"

 _What is that scumbag doing to her?!_ Cole fumed. He hustled even faster toward the gray car. When he reached it, he cautiously lifted his head and peeked through the rear hatchback window. What he saw made his blood boil.

The back of Brooke's head was pressed against a side window in the back seat. Tears fell from her tightly closed eyes as Cap buried his face in her neck. Cole could not see his expression, but the earth ninja was pretty certain that the scumbag was enjoying his proximity to the pretty brunette.

 _I'm the only one who oughta be breathing in that vanilla perfume, or whatever it is that girls spray on themselves!_ he scowled.

What Cole couldn't see through the hatchback window, due to the seatback blocking the view, were Cap's hands. But Cole could imagine what his hands were doing.

And that made his blood boil even more.


	6. Hero and Heroine

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **I loved all the comments on the previous chapter! I have AveXCninja11, MasterofCupcakes, lovesgod12, FirstFandomFangirl, Titanium Jay and Electro Zane, and StoryMaker7 to thank for their feedback. You guys made my day!**

 **Measuremesky posted two new chapters to** _ **The Fire Within**_ **in the past few days, so I encourage everyone to read her updates. Also, please check out her story's new cover image (featuring Kai) and her new author profile image (featuring Jay).**

 **In the chapter below, a certain bank robber is going to wish he had pursued a different line of work…**

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Hero and Heroine**

Cole ducked his head down again and crawled to the side of the gray hatchback vehicle, the side that Brooke could see and that Cap had his back to. The black-haired warrior needed to check where Cap's gun was - and what the criminal's hands were doing.

 _Good thing there's no car parked in the next space,_ Cole thought. _That'll make it easier to get that sleazeball._

He placed his index finger vertically on his lips, to get ready to signal to Brooke - in case she saw him - to remain quiet about his presence, and then he raised himself up just enough to peek through the side window.

Cole had guessed that he wouldn't like what he saw, and he was right. Cap was sprawled over Brooke. He had flipped up the hem of her sundress and was now caressing her thigh with one hand. His other arm was underneath her shoulders, cradling her in an embrace which trapped one of her arms against her body. His face was still buried in her neck. She continued to plead for him to stop his actions, pushing against his shoulder with her free hand.

For just a split second, Cole was distracted by the sight of her exposed lacy orange underwear, but then anger took over. _What a slimebucket!_ he seethed, taking a deep breath to keep from losing his cool.

He glanced over to the front seat of the car. Cap's revolver sat unguarded in a compartment on the center console.

Cole returned his glance to the back seat. This time, his eyes met those of Brooke, who had paused her cries of distress in order to catch her breath after all her struggling. He saw relief fill her teary hazel orbs as she realized that her boyfriend had extricated himself from the clutches of two of the miscreants and was about to help her escape from the third one.

The earth ninja tapped his index finger to his lips as a reminder to her to keep his presence a secret, and then he ducked below the window. He could hear Brooke resume her protests.

Cole took a deep breath and put his hand on the door handle. Then, on a silent count of three, he yanked open the door and effortlessly ripped it off the hinges.

"WHAT TH-" a startled Cap exclaimed as he quickly twisted his torso away from Brooke and watched the earth ninja drop the door on the ground. The robber swiftly reached for his gun, but before he could grab it, he suddenly moaned and collapsed in agony on top of Brooke.

Brooke smiled. She had just forcefully kneed her tormentor between his legs. Now that Cole was safe from being harmed by those two other thieves, and was only a second away from taking down this jerk, she felt free to exact revenge on the scoundrel.

Cole reached into the car, grabbing the robber by the back of his collar and dragging him out of the vehicle and away from it for several feet. Then the earth ninja simply let go of the criminal and observed him for several seconds as he crumpled into a moaning heap on the ground.

Now that Cap was temporarily indisposed, Cole turned back toward the car to attend to Brooke. He was startled to see her already standing outside the hatchback with her feet spread apart in a game-on stance and her arms straight out in front of her, gripping Cap's gun between her hands and aiming it at its owner. With the slight breeze ruffling her long hair and the skirt of her dress, Cole had to admit his girlfriend looked pretty hot, like those female police detectives on TV shows.

"Do you even know where the trigger is on that thing, Brooke?" he teased. Now that the main danger had passed, his mood was lightening.

Brooke had never held a gun before, but she wasn't going to admit it in front of Cap, and certainly not after her boyfriend had just insinuated that she wasn't competent at shooting a firearm. "I could point this at you and we could find out," she retorted, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him.

Cole smiled at the brunette's sassy remark. It meant she was starting to feel a little more normal again after their harrowing ordeal.

But the ordeal was not quite over yet. Cole held up his hands in surrender fashion as he chuckled, "No, that's OK, but we'd better secure this guy before he recovers. First, I'm gonna shove him back in the car."

Brooke stepped out of the way but still kept the gun aimed at Cap while Cole scooped up the criminal none too gently and unceremoniously dumped him on the back seat.

"OK, Brooke, stand back while I-"

"Wait! I have to get my purse!" she suddenly cried out, rushing to grab her yellow handbag off the floor of the backseat. "Got it," she said, holding it above her head while walking backward, away from the vehicle. With the other hand, she held the gun pointed downward.

Cole rolled his eyes. _Women and their purses..._

When the brunette was a safe distance away, Cole repeated what he had done a few minutes earlier. He knelt down behind the gray car, concentrated, slammed his fists on the ground, and created a deep sinkhole which swallowed the hatchback yet left surrounding parking spaces unaffected. A grin spread across his face as he stood up again and surveyed his successful handiwork.

A pair of familiar arms encircled his waist in a side embrace. He turned himself toward the owner of the arms and wrapped his muscular arms around her shoulders in a bear hug, burying his nose in her vanilla-scented hair.

"You OK, Brooke?" he asked tenderly.

"Yeah. Are YOU all right, Colie?" she mumbled into his chest.

"I'm good," he replied, smiling to himself at hearing her nickname for him. He stepped back from the hug but kept a gentle hold of her upper arms. "Let's head to the train ticket office and call the police from there, and after we talk to them, maybe they can take us to the restaurant. At this point, your dad's probably ready to tear me apart, limb by limb!"


	7. The Show Goes On

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Hey everyone! I'm back after going nearly a month without posting any updates on my stories. And for a while I was struggling to catch up on my reading of other people's stories. Then I did catch up, but now I seem to be falling behind again after having a busy weekend. Hopefully life will soon fall into a routine so that I can:**

 **1\. easily read other authors' chapters,  
** **2\. finish this story (just one more chapter after this one),  
** **3\. start Kai and Sam's honeymoon story, and  
** **4\. work on my AU tale (it's been nearly TWO MONTHS since I updated _The Fire Within a Ninjago Soldier_! Argh!).**

 **I recently reached my one-year anniversary on FanFiction. (The date on my profile says I joined August 22 of last year, but I consider my anniversary to be September 2.) The past year has been so much fun, and I have made many friends. Thank you so much for making my foray into Ninjago fan fiction such a positive experience!**

 **In the previous chapter of this tale, Cole and Brooke managed to overpower the final bank robber. I thank MasterofCupcakes, lovesgod12, AveXCninja11, FirstFandomFangirl, StoryMaker7, and Titanium Jay for their great comments! I also wish to thank Naruby7 for faving this story!**

 **In the chapter below, our favorite earth ninja and his girlfriend are reunited with their parents...**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - The Show Goes On**

A police car with activated flashing lights pulled up to the front of Serenity Gardens Restaurant. A police officer immediately jumped out and opened the rear passenger-side door to allow a disheveled young woman to get out of the car. She wore a man's suit coat over her wrinkled dress, for the summer night air seemed a bit chilly.

A coatless black-haired young man exited the vehicle from the rear driver-side door. His dress shirt sleeves were rolled up and his tie was loosened, and his face was a bit dusty.

The police officer escorted the couple to the restaurant's entryway and opened the outer door for them. The officer standing guard in the lobby, who had been radioed to expect their appearance, had observed their arrival through the glass doors, so he opened the inner restaurant door for them. "Glad you're safe," he said in welcome. They smiled and nodded "Thanks" in return.

Once the couple stepped inside into the lobby, they were immediately descended upon by their parents and Sensei Wu, all of whom were ecstatic to learn just a short while ago, from the officer in the lobby, that the black-haired ninja and his brunette girlfriend were reported - via police radio - to be safe and were being driven to the restaurant in a squad car.

" _Mia figlia_ , you're all right!" Brooke's mother cried, wrapping her arms around her daughter. Brooke's father was right behind his wife and wrapped his arms around both females.

"So happy to see you, my son!" Lou said as he hugged the earth ninja. Then, as they stepped back from the embrace, the older man tapped his cane on the young man's chest. "Make sure you're on time to the next wedding rehearsal dinner!" he facetiously scolded his offspring.

Cole chuckled. "I plan to be, Pop!"

"I am very relieved to see you two," Sensei Wu spoke as the group members turned their attention to him. "It was quite a shock to hear from the police that you had been kidnapped by three bank robbers."

"Well, it was a shock to be kidnapped. And those guys meant business. I might not be standing here right now if Brooke hadn't carried pepper spray in her purse," Cole admitted, nodding toward his girlfriend.

Brooke then spoke. "And if Cole hadn't been there to save me when we were switching cars at the train station, I...I…"

A wave of emotion washed over her, and she began to cry, burying her face in her mother's shoulder.

The group, realizing that Brooke could not continue her sentence, looked to Cole for an explanation.

"Well, one of the scumbags was a pervert, and before I got to him and Brooke in the car at the train station, he...um..." - Cole agitatedly ran his hand through his black locks - "...he was fondling her."

Everyone gasped. Brooke's mother held her daughter tighter. Mr. Dawson's jaw dropped.

"And he probably would've done more than that to her if they'd gotten away," Cole grimly concluded.

Silence momentarily settled upon the group as Cole's words sunk in.

Mr Dawson spoke up, his voice strained. "So tell us exactly how you got this guy."

Cole rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I ripped the car door off its hinges to get to them, and then actually Brooke saved herself. While he was distracted, she kicked a part of his body that never sees sunlight, if you know what I mean."

The group erupted in laughter and cheers for Brooke. The brunette wiped her eyes and turned from her mother's shoulder to face the group with a quivering smile. Her father enveloped her in a hug.

Releasing his daughter, Mr. Dawson then abruptly turned to the earth ninja. "Cole!" he exclaimed loudly with a serious face.

The group became deadly quiet. Brooke's father had not made a secret of his impatience with the earth ninja ever since he and his wife and daughter had arrived in town on the day before yesterday. Was the older man really going to berate the younger man for some imaginary dereliction of responsibility, and so soon after returning from the harrowing ordeal?

"I have been worried about Brooke all evening, and now that you're here, I can say the words I've been wanting to say to you for the past several hours!" the older man said sternly.

"Daddy!" Brooke breathed, not believing that her father was actually going to yell at Cole right now.

"Roger! Don't!" Mrs. Dawson scolded.

"Now see here, Mr. Dawson, I object to -" Cole's father began, but Brooke's father cut off further words from him with a raised hand.

"And those words are...thank you for bringing my daughter back safe!"

And with that, Roger Dawson smiled, shaking the hand of his daughter's boyfriend while leaning in to give him a one-armed hug. Cole, who had not expected words of gratitude, grinned in surprise at the appreciation and returned the gesture.

"You did well, my student. We were informed that the criminals were trapped in the sinkholes you created," Sensei added. "And you and Brooke will be pleased to know that there are some rehearsal festivities you did not miss. Right now the guests are enjoying dessert, and when that is finished, Sam will present her gifts to the bridesmaids. Then I as the host, and Kai as the groom, will give our toasts to complete the evening."

The wise teacher continued. "Why don't you young people take a few minutes to freshen up and, in the meantime, I will inform the restaurant kitchen that they can begin to prepare the dinners for you and your worried parents, and myself as well."

As Cole helped Brooke remove his suit coat from her shoulders in preparation for freshening up in the restrooms, Sensei added, "Because you are safe, the wedding can go on as planned. I discussed with Kai and Sam and her parents the need to postpone the wedding if we had heard anything but good news about you by sunrise tomorrow."

Knowing how stressed her dear friend Sam already had been earlier in the day, Brooke exclaimed, "Whoa! How did Sam react to hearing about our kidnapping?"

"She had to sit down at first," Sensei recalled, "but Kai brought her something to drink and told her that he and the other ninja planned to help the police with the search when the dinner was over, and that made her feel a bit better."

"And she was a trouper," Lou chimed in. "As we say in the entertainment business, she went on with the show as if nothing bad had happened. Her parents and aunt did, too. They were among the few people with whom we had to share your plight. Otherwise, the police had recommended keeping your disappearance a private matter for the time being, in order to help lull the kidnappers into falsely thinking that they were not actively being sought."

Maria Dawson nodded in agreement. "And we all felt _gioia_ when we heard you were safe."

"We did indeed feel much joy," her husband concurred. "We even announced to all the guests what had happened, once we knew the criminals were in custody. Everyone will be pleased to see you once we enter the dining room."

They began walking in the direction of the restrooms. "So, Sensei, you mentioned that the guests are having their dessert now. What is it that they're eating?" Cole asked.

A hint of a smile graced the wise teacher's face, knowing his pupil's penchant for sweets. "They are enjoying Red Velvet cake, in honor of Kai's ninja warrior color."

"Um, Sensei, could I ask another question?" the earth ninja inquired.

"Certainly, my student."

Cole grinned sheepishly. "Is there any way we can eat dessert first and eat dinner later?"


	8. Encore

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Hey, readers! Thanks for having taken the time to check out this wedding rehearsal tale!**

 **A big shoutout to MasterofCupcakes, lovesgod12, StoryMaker7, and WalrusWins257 for commenting on the previous chapter. You guys are great!**

 **In the tale that will eventually follow this one, I'm going to simply recap Kai and Sam's wedding ceremony in Chapter 1 and focus on their honeymoon adventure. They get more than they bargained for on their trip to the music city of Shanville!**

 **And, of course, I plan to continue working on my AU story,** _ **The Fire Within a Ninjago Soldier**_ **.**

 **And...I have agreed to adopt some story ideas from the author Magic Writing Dragon. At this point I cannot say when I will have anything ready for posting, but I am looking forward to the challenge!**

 **Enjoy the conclusion of** _ **The Fire Within: Rehearsal of Danger**_ **. Take care, everyone!**

 **\- MNC 9/18/2016 11:30pm CDT**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Encore**

Shortly after midnight, Cole and Brooke walked hand in hand down a quiet carpeted hallway on the 23rd floor of the posh Adams Hotel, where the entire bridal party was lodging for the night due to logistical as well as security reasons.

The earth ninja and his girlfriend had spent some quiet time sitting on a bench in the hotel's tropical atrium while eating some donuts from the Kiedun Donuts bakery, and now the black-haired warrior was escorting the college student to the hotel room she was sharing with her parents during their stay in Ninjago City. He would then retire to his own room, which he was sharing with Zane on the floor below.

As the couple walked past rows of hotel room doors, conversing in hushed tones so as not to disturb sleeping guests, Brooke's other hand carried a plastic bag containing the half-empty donut box.

The treats were a small gift from Kai and Sam, who had heard that Cole and Brooke had been heading in the direction of Kiedun Donuts before their trouble began. Therefore, the bride and groom (who, along with the rest of the bridal party and close family members, were being transported from the restaurant to the hotel in police cars to ensure their safety) had persuaded their police escorts to drive past the all-night bakery to procure a box of one dozen donuts of assorted flavors for the beleaguered couple. The officers, for their efforts, received a box of their own from the red ninja and his soon-to-be wife.

"And here we are. Room 2332. A pretty easy room number to remember," Cole commented, stopping in front of the elegant wooden door decorated with fancy numerals. He turned to face his female companion.

"It is pretty easy," Brooke agreed, idly swinging their clasped hands back and forth. Inwardly, she was feeling disappointed that her time alone with Cole was drawing to a close. She'd be seeing him tomorrow, of course, but they would be surrounded by people all day and a large portion of the evening as well.

Like Brooke, Cole was also not quite ready to say goodnight. "So, uh, I guess the next time I'll see you will be when you're walking down the aisle at the start of the ceremony," he rambled.

Suddenly he squinted at something on her face. "You know, babe, it looks like you got some jelly on your lip from that strawberry-filled donut you ate," he pointed out.

"I do?" She began to reach into the plastic bag to retrieve one of the napkins which had accompanied the donut box, but Cole stopped her.

"Let me get it," he said, reaching for the bag. He took it from her, but instead of opening the bag, he set it down.

"What are you -" Brooke began, but she did not finish, for Cole had cupped her shoulders and leaned in for a kiss, lingering on her lips for several seconds.

As their lips parted, Brooke smirked at her boyfriend's mischievousness. "Did you get the jelly?" she asked, her eyebrow raised.

Cole tilted his head and studied her face. "Hmm, I need to kiss you some more," he said as he leaned in again.

When their lips eventually parted once once again, Brooke asked, "Did you get the jelly that time?"

It was Cole's turn to smirk. "Well, actually I got it the first time. I just wanted to kiss you some more!"

His confession earned him a playful swat on his arm.

"Ow!" he exclaimed playfully, pretending to be in pain for the second time that day.

"Cole! Shh!" Brooke whisper-yelled at him. "My parents are right inside that door!"

Cole winced at the realization that he might have garnered the attention of Mr. and Mrs. Dawson inside the room. But after the couple stood still and waited silently for a minute, and no one came to the door, he relaxed.

"You shouldn't beat up a guy who hasn't given you your birthday gift yet," he grinned, sliding his muscular arms around her waist.

The willowy brunette smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I shouldn't? Then tell me how I should get my gift. My birthday was two weeks ago," she teased, knowing fully well that he planned to give it to her later tomorrow night, when they could sneak away while the wedding reception was in full swing.

"Well, first we have to do this," he murmured, seeking her lips for the third time. Her mouth was extra sweet, thanks to the donuts, and he savored the taste. As her vanilla scent permeated the air, and her warm body pressed closer into his, a slight sensation of dizziness began to wash over him.

Suddenly, the door to Room 2332 swung open, startling them. There stood Roger Dawson, wearing a robe over his pajamas. Despite the sleepiness in his eyes, he wore a smirk as he observed the young couple sheepishly looking back at him, still entwined in their embrace.

"Hi, Daddy," Brooke greeted him with an embarrassed smile, turning to face him as she let go of Cole and smoothed her hair.

"Hello, dear. I thought I'd heard something out here. Hello, Cole. I see you are keeping very close to my daughter, no doubt to protect her from additional evilness."

Cole cleared his throat nervously. "Yes, sir," he replied as he fidgeted with the knot of his necktie.

"We brought back some donuts, Daddy," Brooke piped up, hoping to distract her father. "Kai and Sam got a dozen for us and there's still some left for you and Mama to have," she added as she picked up the bag from the carpet and held it out toward him.

Mr. Dawson took the donuts from her. "That's nice. These will make a tasty little breakfast treat in the morning. And speaking of morning, morning will come all too soon, so why don't you two wrap up your...exchanges of goodnights so you both can get some rest. I'm sure you'd agree that today was rather stressful and tomorrow will be very busy."

Cole nodded. "That's for sure!"

After Mr. Dawson bid goodnight to the earth ninja and closed the door, the couple turned to each other and wasted no time in resuming their embrace.

Cole looked into Brooke's sparkling hazel eyes. "Your dad's a nice guy," he commented.

"Yeah," Brooke agreed, "and I think he has a nice daughter, too!"

The earth ninja smirked. "And I think she has a nice boyfriend," he added, adjusting his hold on her waist.

The brunette nodded, but then all of a sudden her smile disappeared. "Hey, Colie, can I tell you something?" she suddenly asked.

"Yeah, sure," he responded, surprised at the seriousness in her voice.

Brooke looked directly into his dark brown eyes. "Thank you again for saving me tonight."

"You did most of the work, but you're welcome," he replied, returning the intensity of her gaze. Though the lighting in the hotel hallway was dim, her hazel eyes mesmerized him.

The thought that tonight might have ended differently, and that he and Brooke might have ended up in places other than each other's arms right then, struck the earth ninja like a punch in the stomach. He might never have been able to tell her what he had realized this past spring. He needed to tell her now, before another minute passed...

"Hey, Brooke, can I tell YOU something?" Cole asked, his voice low and soft.

His girlfriend searched his eyes, trying to figure out what he might say. "Sure," she answered.

Cole swallowed and took a deep breath. "I love you, Brooke."

He watched as her eyes began to water. "Oh, Cole," she breathed. "I love you, too!"

Their lips connected once more, with passion.

As the black-haired warrior tasted Brooke's exquisite kisses and inhaled her intoxicating vanilla scent, his heart raced.

Now that Kai and Sam's wedding day would be over in a mere 24 hours, the earth ninja no longer had to worry about stealing any of their spotlight by popping the question to Brooke. He now felt free to propose to her anytime. He wanted the moment to be memorable, but up until now, his ideas about getting engaged to her were just that...ideas. It was time to make definite plans, especially now that her father no longer had qualms about him.

And Cole decided that proposing sooner would be better than later, and not just because Jay somehow might develop a surge of courage and propose to Nya. Cole wasn't too worried about THAT happening in the near future.

But tonight, the earth ninja could have lost his own life or, worse in his opinion, lost the girl of his dreams before those dreams ever had a chance to become a reality. It was time to take action.

Brooke would be returning to her home village on the day after tomorrow, but in three weeks she would be back in Ninjago City to attend her third year of classes at Ninjago University. Before the upcoming semester ended, he vowed to present her with a ring.

Yes, after tomorrow, he would work on changing his love's name. By this time next year, he told himself, her name would be Brooke Hence...

 ********** The End **********


End file.
